Eisenstadt v. Baird: Contraception, Unmarried Couples and the Fornication Law
In short
In Eisenstadt v. Baird (March 22, 1972), the Supreme Court struck down a Massachusetts law that limited contraceptives to married people, finding it violated equal protection. The Court doubted that deterring fornication, then a misdemeanor in Massachusetts, explained the law, and stated that privacy belongs to the individual, married or single.
What the full article will cover
- What was the Massachusetts law at issue?
- How did William Baird's case reach the Supreme Court?
- Why did the Court dismiss fornication as the law's purpose?
- What did the Court say about married and single people?
- How did Eisenstadt shape later privacy cases?
Frequently asked questions
- Who was William Baird?
- Was Eisenstadt v. Baird a unanimous decision?
- How is Eisenstadt different from Griswold?
Sources
- law.cornell.edu — https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/405/438
- law.cornell.edu — https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/381/479
- law.cornell.edu — https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/539/558
General information, not legal or religious advice.